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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau

A 44-year-old ex-police officer has been arrested by the national security task force on allegations of attempting to illegally import 1 755 rounds of assorted pistol, rifle and shotgun ammunition through the Beitbridge Border Post on Sunday.

Munashe Sibanda was arrested at around 3am soon after arriving aboard a Munhenzva cross-border bus.

Sibanda, who lives in Chitungwiza, is a retired police constable who was once deployed in Mashonaland East.

He appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate Mr Takudzwa Gwazemba on Tuesday charged with contravening a section of the Firearms Act and was remanded to November 24 on $25 000 bail and ordered to report once every Friday at Makoni Police Station in Chitungwiza between 6am and 6pm.

Prosecuting, Miss Esnath Vengedza, said on Sunday at around 3am, Sibanda arrived in the country aboard a Munhenzva bus via the Beitbridge Border Post with an assortment of ammunition allegedly loaded in a box.

It is alleged that he intended to ship the contraband into Zimbabwe, but ran out of luck when a customs officer searching the bus noticed the box. The State said the ammunition was subsequently seized by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) under notice of seizure No 032937L.